Improvement in hat-presses



nai cfm 1 in thecounty of Fairfieldl andStatev of Connecticut,

in Machineryfor Pressing Hats, Bonnets, i850.; and I `do lhereby declare" thattbej following is a full and "correct description thereof,"reference being had to thegannexed `drawingandtothe letters of reference ithereon'.1l y' i fj i My 'improved' press j consists of a heated die and a diaphia gm'or `elastic presser, supported by an elastic cushionof confined air, brought together, to pressvthe hat or bonnet to be pressed by mechanical poweig'as inordinarypresseminsteadii ullocking the dies and e applying pressureto the diaphragm through the fluid used, as in former diaphragm-presses; and

l My invention consists in combining a chamber of "confined air with a diaphragm in a diaphragm-press, operated by afscrew or any suitable mechanical means "nsedgtooperate"dlespresses; u

i Myinvention' further consistsin the arrangement of y the diaphragm in combinationwithinclosing-anges ofthe presshad and die,`` whereby the diaphragm is protected-from rupture and" `uniform elastic pressure obtained upon Aallpartslof the hat 'or other article to be pressed.`

i `ure,.a`ndthe objectofnsing the,air-cushion.andlndiaj rnlibei".diilphraginis` to avoid flatteningv the braids quires the `braid tovbe left round and full. Y

Figure 1 of the drawing represents a front elevation of apprcss with my improvements. i

y ing the partsin position, as inkpressing a hat. A, Figure 3, a detached side view of the diaphragm,l Lettera representsthe frame of .the machine. y "b, the metal die, suppcrtedrl upon a hollow bed, c, which may be heated by steam `through pipes c c2. '.Lhe dieb may be heated by any of the many known `ways ofheating-.dies in presses for pressing straw hats. lLetter d represents thepressehead, provided with guides c c,`and operated by the screw f. i i

-ILevers or any of the w llllinown substitutes for a i, screw for operating presses maybe used to bring down "thepress-headto the` die;"orthe press-.head may be statinaryand tliedie moved toward, it by such ine- Ghaical devices. p y `l y l The press -head 'is domeshaped, having any internal i 1 `forms aseat for therim or flange h of the hat-shaped diaplifiglli fi, whichfshouldbemade of vulcanizedn- `diarubber. V;

` y 'lhediaphragmc'is secured to the liangcof the havainve'nted certainneufandA useful Improvements g i Myfinpi-oved p'ess is designed to be ,used for press ing straw hats,` which require comparatively light press'` ,whenthe `character of the1straw. hat or bonnet rey Figure 2, avvertical` section through the'pre'ss, showconcave, and is provided with va rim l ortlange, g, which UBEATTY; or ,'NonwALK, CONNECTICUT.

y Leners raient N0. 112,677, naa una 14, 1871.

iMPRQvsMs'N'r 'IN HAT-Pusssss.

press-head by a clamping-ring, j, and screw-bolts It, as I. i

shownin -the drawing.

It will Ube observed, by inspection of the drawing, Vthat the diaphragm t' is not exactly hat-shaped, but that a partA of it, m, next to the flange 1L, is cylindrical and of larger diameter than the crown-part a, and that" the cylindrical part m extends down inside of the clamping-ring belowthe joint, and is protected by the .clamping-ringfrom rupture. Thispartm of the diaphragm `is also protected from rupture by the ange b Vupon the die -b, which is made ,to lit the interior of the clamping-ring j, so that, in the operation of pressing,

Vthe'die, with the hat upon it, enters the clamping-ring,

and, lilling its internal diameter, inclosesand supports the part m While pressing 'against it. The object of making the diaphragm in this shape is to form an ari-- nular fold in thediaphragm below the point of its attachment 4to the press-head, Iwhich annular fold may receive thepressure'from the brimep'art of the'die without any direct strain upon the flange-part of the diaphragm, by which it is attached to the press-head, and, therefore, not only save that part ofthe diaphragm from rupture, but also a'ord the same elastic resistanc-e to the brim asY to the crown ofthe hat when pressed bythe upward movement ofv thedie.

The annular fold of the diaphragm forms an elastic cushion below the point of the clamping-ring` and thus permitsupward movement under elasticv pressure of the whole pressing surface `of the diaphragm without strain upon the clampedpart, which is very desirable in the use of a diaphragm sustained by a cushion of so elastic a medium'as air. i2

' The concave of the press-head, when inclosed by the diaphragm, forms an air-tight chamber, p, accessible only through the stop-cock q, a small flexible pipe, fr, being attached'to the stop-cock for convenience ot'forc- ,ing air into l'the chamber, which may be done bythe chamber, which, being practically incompressible, will .cause a greater compression ofthe confined air with the same displacement of 'the diaphragm'by the die; but sufficient" air must always be confined in the airchamber to form an elastic cushion for the diaphragm.

In iig. l the presshead is shown as lifted, to permit l placing a hat,'s', upon the die. The part' n ot' the diaphragm isshown as distended downward over the hat bythe pressure ofthe conned air. As the press-head is moved down to press the hat the part n of the diaphragm comes in contact with the crown of the hat and gradually envelops the crownthe surface of the rubber rolling, as it were, onto the surface of the delicate straw braid of the hatuntil the diaphragm and other parts assum'ethe positions shown in tig. 2.

The brim part of the die is shown flat inthe drawing, but it may be curved, if desired, by slipping on. a curved ring-Harige suitable to give the brim alcurl or curve, the fold m in the diaphragm permitting such operation; but care must be taken to have the curved ring-flange tit the inner diameter of the damping-ring.

The dies may be oval or round, and of any suitable shape for such presses.

The die shown in the drawing is convex, because it is designed to give shape to the hat from the inside, While the elastic rubber diaphragm is pressing upon the straw with such pressure asl to conform the hat to the die without flattening the braids; but,-\vhere the object is tc smooth-press the outside of the hat, aconcave die may be used to receive the hat, and the diaupon -principles well known to users of presses having fluid-pressures upon daphragms.

I do not claim, broadly, the' use of an elastic duid in combination with a diaplu'agm-press, for that occurs in a press iu which the die and press-head are locked together, and pressure made by steam upon the diaphragm to press the hat. My invention is limited to a diaphragm-press in which confined air or othersimilar elastic medium is used as an elastic cushion for the diapluagm, and the pressure to press the hat applied to the press-head and die, to bring them together for that purpose.

I claim as of my invention and improvement in diaphragm-presses for pressing hats, bonnets, 85o.-

l. The combination of an elastic cushion of confined air or similar elastic medium,` with the diaphragm and die of a press, in which thel pressure to press the hat, bonnet, or other article to be pressed is' applied to the press-head and die to bring them together to press the hat, substantially as hereiubefore described.

2. The combination and arrangement of the diaphragm clamping-ring and flange of the die, whereby the annular elastic fold v'm of' the diaphragm is em ployed to press the Abrim of the hat, and protected from rupture when u nder pressure, substantially ae' 

